Celebrating our 20th Anniversary

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GJEP on the ground: taking action to defend Indigenous rights & forests in Chile

In 2019 GJEP traveled to Kilape Lopez, a Mapuche community mobilizing to reclaim their land. We returned on this trip and gave the community photos we took there in 2019. Here the community Lonko [leader], holds a photo of two youths we met in 2019 who had just been arrested and imprisoned the week before on baseless charges of direct action against the forest industry. Photo: Langelle/ langellephoto.org (2024)

CHILE: GJEP traveled throughout Chile over 2 weeks in October, where we documented the stories of Mapuche people working to reclaim their ancestral lands from vast industrial eucalyptus and pine plantations, to enable Mapuche families to grow crops and raise livestock.

But the Chilean state is passing new laws to make this illegal. Now if Mapuche people take back their land from the timber industry, they can be arrested and imprisoned. And nearly every community we spoke to talked about their young people being targeted for arrest and languishing in prison, where they can be held for almost 2 years without a trial.

GJEP Executive Director Anne Petermann speaks about the racism of Chile's judicial system during a press conference following a visit to a prison where she and others met with and interviewed Mapuche political prisoners, most of whom are under 30 years old. They spoke of abuse in the prison and the inability to see loved ones. Bio Bio radio is the largest media outlet in the region. Photo: Langelle/ Langellephoto.org (2024)

Please help us raise up the voices of Mapuche communities impacted by the timber industry.

While the existing tree plantations are bad enough, Chile’s timber industry is developing freeze tolerant GE eucalyptus trees to expand these destructive plantations. Destroying more forests, harming more Mapuche communities, and drying up fresh water.

20 Years ago, GJEP traveled to Chile for the first time. We met with Indigenous Mapuche and other allies about the struggle there against industrial tree plantations, due to their devastating social and ecological impacts. We also discussed the threats posed by genetically engineered trees being researched in the country. Our commitment to support the Mapuche and other communities in Chile stands strong today.

Protesting Arauco: In 2017, we met with and documented communities devastated by the worst wildfires in Chile's history who spoke to us about the danger posed by the huge flammable eucalyptus and pine plantations owned by Arauco and others. On this year's trip, people spoke about their lawsuit against Arauco over the megafires that destroyed their homes. Photo: Langelle/ langellephoto.org (2024)
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